1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an operation unit by which a user can adjustably move a seat back of an automotive seat, such as an operation unit for causing folding of the seat back down onto a seat cushion of the automotive seat. In particular, the invention is directed to an arrangement of such operation unit in the seat back.
2. Description of Prior Art
There has been known a seat back operation unit for a user to operate the operation lever thereof to cause a seat back of automotive seat to fold down to a seat cushion of the seat, and, such seat back operation unit is typically provided in the top of the seat back so as to face forwardly of the seat back, as disclosed from the Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-80740 for instance.
According to the foregoing conventional seat back operation unit, the operation lever may be moved forwardly to thereby draw a wire connected with that operation lever so as to release the seat back from a locked state, so that the seat back will be folded down onto a seat cushion. This seat back operation unit is disposed at predetermined top and frontal area of the seat back which extends from the top of the seat back to a localized frontal surface region of the seat back. For that purpose, trim cover assembly and foam padding, forming a constituent part of the seat back, is cut off at a point corresponding to the afore-said top and frontal area of seat back so as to provide an opening in which mechanical parts and elements of the seat back operation unit are installed, and of course, an operation lever is disposed in the opening of the trim cover assembly. In this regard, an annular piece or bezel of synthetic resin material is secured to and along the peripheral edge of that opening of trim cover assembly, so as to surround the operation lever, thereby preventing removal of that particular peripheral edge of opening of trim cover assembly from the foam padding.
It is desired that the seat back operation unit be disposed at one corner area in the top region of seat back, so that the operation lever thereof may be readily accessed and easily operated by a user. Such one corner area in the top region of seat back refers to one of left and right corner areas in the top of seat back, and shall be referred to “one upper corner area of seat back” hereinafter.
Practically, if the previously stated prior-art seat back operation unit is disposed in the afore-said one upper corner area of seat back, it is apparent that the seat back operation unit and operation lever extend therein so as to cover the following three localized areas of seat back: a top area of seat back; a frontal area of seat back; and a lateral area of seat back. As a result thereof, if the trim cover assembly and foam padding is cut off in correspondence with such one upper corner area of seat back to provide an opening there, the peripheral edge of resultant opening of the trim cover assembly is deformed into an undesired irregular shape, which will impair the aesthetic appearance of one upper corner area of seat back.
Further, the seat back operation unit itself is composed of a great number of mechanical parts and elements, and therefore, it is technically difficult to assemble and secure those mechanical parts and elements in the afore-said opening at the one upper corner area of seat back in such a manner to prevent them from being viewed from the outside.